While the campus may know little about William DeJong, the Initiative Steering Committee now knows considerably more about his views on alcohol and its role in colleges and universities.
The director of the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention, DeJong spoke with the committee during their meetings in Hanover last week.
DeJong, who is also on the national board of directors for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, was unavailable for comment yesterday, but a 190-page report co-authored by the Harvard School of Public Health professor contains his recommendations for alcohol policies at colleges.
DeJong writes in the report that "school officials need to ask themselves several fundamental questions" including:
--"Should the school's admissions criteria be altered so that newly matriculated students are at less risk of binge drinking and other drug use?"
--"Should fraternities and sororities be banned or otherwise restricted? Are there other ways to encourage reform?"
--"Should students be required to do a certain number of hours of volunteer work to reduce their free time and to give their educational experience additional meaning?"
The report questions the attitude that "drinking patterns are already set" in high school and can not be changed in college, even though it cites a Harvard study which indicates more students begin binge drinking in high school.
"What ought to be kept in mind, however, is that many high school students who binge drink are attracted to certain colleges in part because of their reputation as party schools with lots of drinking."
DeJong goes on to write that "an important reason for school officials to revamp and toughen their prevention policies is to change the school's reputation and thereby attract a different type of student."
At a different point in the general report intended for any college administrator, DeJong mentions Dartmouth specifically as a "good example of a school where binge drinking has long been a part of student life."
It refers to previous attempts by Dartmouth to change this attitude partially by changing the composition of the student body.
Dartmouth "officials have undertaken an ambitious program to change student drinking norms. This effort includes a 'Presidential Scholars' program to attract more students who are strongly committed to academics or have other passionate interests that make them less inclined to binge drink or use other drugs."
The guide describes "a new doctrine" for alcohol policies termed "environmental management."
"With this doctrine, schools are not expected to control student conduct, but they must take reasonable pretective measures to guard against foreseeable hazards and risk in the school environment."